No, this isn't a "i shot a hole in my wall" story, but i have had a, technically, negligent discharge story.

I have long preferred Glock as my carry and competition weapons. However, some time ago, i acquired a Kimber Tactical Custom II from a close friend of mine. I made him a deal he couldn't refuse and owned my first 1911. I am also into offroading, meaning i find myself in some of the most remote places. Out with another friend, we began casually target shooting into a berm somewhere in the back country of the North Carolina coast. We brought many weapons from rifles, pistols, and shotguns. I had recently had a catastrophic oil leak in my Jeep and had to replace my oil pan....therefore creating an impromptu shooting target (the old oil pan). As i was firing my Glock model 22, i ran through several magazines, as i always do. I took out the Kimber and took aim. After several shots, i noticed the severe deference between striker fired actions vs single action style trigger pulls (obviously). Halfway though a magazine, i presented the weapon and took aim. As i placed my finger on the trigger, i slowly applied pressure........BOOM!......without intent. Though i was aiming at my target, i had no idea the weapon was going to fire so quickly. Though a surprise trigger break is ideal, i had no intention of firing the weapon, thus fulfilling the definition of a negligent discharge. At that time, i suddenly realized how placing our finger meant your inevitable intent of firing the weapon. Thankfully, it had been while aiming at a desired target.

Last edited by beefmobile on Mon Sep 03, 2012 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
-Bill of Rights-
(Must be 18 or older. Void where prohibited. Not available in all states. Some restrictions apply)

I wish everyone had that realization without any tragedy/or startling event illustrating it to them.
There's a house in Pasadena with a hole in a king-sized bed, and the floor below it from a Kimber UC2 . (Wasn't me, it was a friend-no injuries sustained)

I had a foolish ND years back. A friend had been over at my house and he left his AR-15 when he left(how nice,right?) We had been looking at it and talking shop and were planning on going to the range the next day. I called him and told him he left it and that I would bring it with me to the range the next day. Well I was a stupid 22 year-old and had never been exposed to AR's. I thought I would check it out for myself and cycle the action a few times to get used to it. I removed the mag, which was full and went to "dry fire" it....oops. Forgot the round in the chamber.... BANG. Fortunately, I had it pointed at the floor when it fired but just seconds earlier it had been leveled at my TV and my neighbors house beyond that! I felt so stupid. It took alot for me to tell my buddy how foolish I had been.

ffemt300 wrote:I had a foolish ND years back. A friend had been over at my house and he left his AR-15 when he left(how nice,right?) We had been looking at it and talking shop and were planning on going to the range the next day. I called him and told him he left it and that I would bring it with me to the range the next day. Well I was a stupid 22 year-old and had never been exposed to AR's. I thought I would check it out for myself and cycle the action a few times to get used to it. I removed the mag, which was full and went to "dry fire" it....oops. Forgot the round in the chamber.... BANG. Fortunately, I had it pointed at the floor when it fired but just seconds earlier it had been leveled at my TV and my neighbors house beyond that! I felt so stupid. It took alot for me to tell my buddy how foolish I had been.

Hopefully you weren't in a second story apartment.

The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. James Madison
NRA Life Member Texas Firearms Coalition member

Although your discharge was unintentional, note that it did not violate any of Cooper's Four Rules:

RULE 1: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
RULE 2: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DESTROY
RULE 3: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER TIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
RULE 4: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Cooper's Rules are not meant to distinguish between intentional, unintentional, negligent, or accidental. They are merely meant to ensure no one gets hurt.

One of the things interesting about Cooper's Four Rules is you have to violate multiple rules for someone to get hurt.

ffemt300 wrote:I had a foolish ND years back. A friend had been over at my house and he left his AR-15 when he left(how nice,right?) We had been looking at it and talking shop and were planning on going to the range the next day. I called him and told him he left it and that I would bring it with me to the range the next day. Well I was a stupid 22 year-old and had never been exposed to AR's. I thought I would check it out for myself and cycle the action a few times to get used to it. I removed the mag, which was full and went to "dry fire" it....oops. Forgot the round in the chamber.... BANG. Fortunately, I had it pointed at the floor when it fired but just seconds earlier it had been leveled at my TV and my neighbors house beyond that! I felt so stupid. It took alot for me to tell my buddy how foolish I had been.

Hopefully you weren't in a second story apartment.

No thankfully it was a rent house. I really couldn't even see a hole in the floor where it went through. It was a high shag carpet and you couldnt tell by looking. Now the floor decking underneath may have been a different story. Probably a nice big exit wound...

My shooting buddy was showing me his new M&P 45... he said "and when the safety is on, there is no way the gun will fire" as he pulled the trigger. After the loud boom I reminded him he bought the model that does not has the safety

Good thing that we were at the range and the gun was safely pointed at the target; I reminded him of the 4 rules.

Safeties give a false sense of safety... "keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot" is the best safety.

AlexNRA Benefactor Life & TSRA Life MemberBay Area Shooting Club MemberCHL since 7/12 | 28 days mailbox-to-mailbox

I don't remember if I told this story or not. I shot several hundred rounds out of my Dad's old PT99 and due to improperly holding the gun had managed to wear a blister on the inside of my thumb. Went to go shoot with my wife a few days later and she suggested wearing some kind of glove and it sounded like a good idea. The older model Taurus doesn't have a de-cocker on it, so after inserting the magazine and hitting the slide release I wanted to de-cock it by pulling the trigger while holding the hammer and slowly letting the hammer down like I had done many times before without incident.

Well the gloves caused a significant loss of dexterity and the hammer got away from me. I shot the concrete floor about 10 feet in front of me (downrange) and the spent brass that was already there went flying everywhere. The slide came back and my thumb stopped it. Despite what everyone says, no it won't tear your thumb off but I still don't suggest it. I decided then and there that my next pistol was gonna have a de-cocking lever on it.

I still get a sick feeling when trying to de-cock the Taurus but I sure don't try and do it with gloves on either.

Last edited by steve817 on Sat Sep 29, 2012 3:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.."
-- Ronald Reagan

I had the same thing happen all the time when I first started shooting. All rounds were pointed in the intended direction but they were not even close to making it on paper.

Now... that is why I always try to dry fire a gun that I am not accustomed to before I actually load and make ready. I make my friends dry fire my stuff too when they are trying out something of mine they have not shot before as well.

I've told the story enough times, but long story short, I thought I had dumped all 6 unfired cartridges into my hand. As it turned out......I had not.

The muzzle blast occurred just a few inches away from my left ear as I held the gun pointed toward the ceiling and kept cocking the hammer an then feeling for the single action letoff (which is amazing even without the muzzle blast in your ear). Having seen the fireball that erupts from the muzzle in low light and the accompanying sheets of flame that shoot out the sides from the cylinder gap, I am still amazed today that I did not set my own head on fire.

Still partially deaf in that ear today. This happened in 1996.

Tell you what though, I've been a paranoid freak about gun safety ever since.

Give me Liberty, or I'll get up and get it myself.—Hookalakah Meshobbab
I don't carry because of the odds, I carry because of the stakes.—The Annoyed Boy

Since we're all 'sharing' out tales of woe..... Mine was when I was 16 shooting a Marlin Model 60 22LR in the back yard. Because the gun had no bolt hold open after the last round, I usually pointed it at the ground next to my right foot and pulled the trigger to 'de-cock' the hammer. I miscounted once and instead of click got a bang!! Missed my foot, but I was standing next to our pool and the round hit an buried pipe; water sprayed 5-6 feet up!! My scream allerted my Dad, who looked out the door, shook his head and said 'You know were the shovel's at." & closed the door!!!